Nonapeptide-1
A nine-residue cosmetic peptide sold to even out pigmentation. Its published human data come from products that combine it with other actives.
Nonapeptide-1 is a synthetic nine-residue peptide amide, Met-Pro-D-Phe-Arg-D-Trp-Phe-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2, with two D-amino acids (PubChem lists it under its INCI name and the trade name Melanostatine 5). It is sold for skin-lightening products. The papers found use it as a carrier coating for green-tea catechin nanoparticles or inside proprietary combinations, so its own effect in people is untested. It is not a drug.
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Recommended Dosing
No dosing data yet
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Mechanism of action
Described in a 2024 formulation paper as interfering with melanin transfer; that paper attached it to silica nanoparticles carrying epigallocatechin gallate, so the effect it measured belongs to the whole construct.
Primary uses
- Cosmetic skin-lightening and anti-pigmentation products
- Laboratory formulation work (peptide-coated nanoparticles)
Typical dosing
No controlled study of the ingredient on its own states an amount used on skin, and a supplier's use level is not a source on this site, so none is given.
Regulatory status
Not a drug: listed as a cosmetic ingredient under its INCI name (PubChem CID 10418849). Drugs@FDA and the EMA medicines list hold no record for it (searched October 28, 2026).
Status as of this entry's last review, October 28, 2026. Approvals, compounding rules and sport rules change; the regulatory tracker is checked more often.
What we checked
Nonapeptide-1 is a skin-lightening cosmetic peptide. Its literature is formulation work in which it is one part of a larger product; this section records what can be checked.
Identity, computed
| Sequence | Met-Pro-Phe-Arg-Trp-Phe-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2 (Met-Pro-D-Phe-Arg-D-Trp-Phe-Lys-Pro-Val-NH2) |
| Formula | C61H87N15O9S |
| Average mass | 1206.52 g/mol |
| Monoisotopic mass | 1205.6532 Da |
| Isoelectric point | none between pH 0 and 14: no acidic group, so the peptide stays positive (net charge +2.98 at pH 7) |
The sequence, with D-phenylalanine and D-tryptophan, is PubChem's for the INCI ingredient; the values below are computed for the C-terminal amide and agree with PubChem's formula.
Regulatory status, read October 28, 2026
Drugs@FDA: 0 records for “nonapeptide-1”. EMA medicines list: 0 records for “nonapeptide-1”. Run for semaglutide, the same queries return 6 and 5 records (and the registry search 80 trials), so a zero here is an absence, not a broken search. Not named on the WADA 2026 and 2027 Prohibited Lists. As a substance with no current approval for human therapeutic use, it falls under section S0 (non-approved substances), which is prohibited at all times; the lists were read on October 28, 2026.
What the studies show
A 2024 study built silica nanoparticles coated with nonapeptide-1 to carry epigallocatechin gallate into photoaged skin (Int J Pharm, 2024). It tested the loaded particles, not the peptide alone.
A randomized, double-blind pilot in 46 people with melasma compared a product of phenylethyl resorcinol, nonapeptide-1, aminoethyl phosphinic acid, antioxidants and sunscreen with sunscreen alone as maintenance after triple-combination cream (Chatterjee et al., 2021). It tested the whole product.
A 2022 cell study used nonapeptide-1 acetate as the comparison treatment beside tea polyphenols in UVA-exposed keratinocytes and melanocytes (Chen et al., 2022); it was the reference agent, not the subject.
What we looked for and did not find
No study of the peptide alone in people, no registry record and no drug approval.
| Source | Query | Results, October 28, 2026 | What it was |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed | ("nonapeptide-1"[tiab] OR "nonapeptide 1"[tiab]) | 4 | the hyphenated INCI name is matched word by word (Q958): a phrase search for a hyphen-numbered name misses papers; one record is a mass-spectrometry methods paper that used it only as a test analyte, not cited |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | nonapeptide-1 | 0 | |
| Drugs@FDA (openFDA) | nonapeptide-1 | 0 | |
| EMA medicines list | nonapeptide-1 | 0 |
References
- [other] PubChem CID 10418849, Nonapeptide-1: formula C61H87N15O9S, molecular weight 1206.5. Read October 28, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/10418849
- [pubmed] Huang ZJ, et al. "Enhanced skin benefits of EGCG loaded in nonapeptide-1-conjugated mesoporous silica nanoparticles to reverse skin photoaging." Int J Pharm, 2024;665:124690. PMID: 39260749.
- [clinical-trial] Chatterjee M, et al. "A randomized controlled pilot study of a proprietary combination versus sunscreen in melasma maintenance." Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, 2021;88(1):51-58. PMID: 34379946.
- [pubmed] Chen J, et al. "Effects of tea polyphenols on UVA-induced melanogenesis via inhibition of α-MSH-MC1R signalling pathway." Postepy Dermatol Alergol, 2022;39(2):327-335. PMID: 35645678.
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This entry is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Dosing information reflects published regulatory or research data and is not a recommendation. Many compounds described here are not approved for human use in the United States. Consult a licensed medical professional before considering any peptide therapy.